Generator.



i No. s7o,s29.\ Patented Mar. 26, mol.

F. wmnHAusEN, 1n.

GENERATDH.

(Application led May 12, 1900.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2..

me nomas PETERS cn. Pnofuurw., v/Asnmmom n. c

tinten.

FRANZ VINDHAUSEN, JR., OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 670,829, dated March26, 1901.

Application filed May 12, 1900l Serial No. 16,514. KNO model.)

To @ZZ whom, L may concern/t.-`

Be it known that I, FRANZ WINDHAUSEN, Jr., engineer, of 13Kurfrstendamm, Berlin, in the German Empire, have invented anImprovement in Methods of Producing Motive PowerfromEXhaList-Steaiii,\Vaste Gases, and the Like; and I do hereby declare thenature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performedto be particularly described and ascertained Ain and by the followingstatement, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to theletters and figures marked thereon.

The object of this invention is the utilization of the heat presentinthe exhaust-steam from steam-engines, in warm Waste water of all kinds,as well as in the gases given oit from furnaces, and the turning toaccount of sources of heat of low temperature for producing motivepower.

In ordinary steam-engines only sources of heat can be utilized thetemperature of which is considerably higher than 1000 eentigrade, andthe result of the slight efficiency of the steam-engine is that aboutive-siXths of the whole of the heat employed is necessary for convertingthe water into steam, which amount of heat hitherto has remained for themost part without being utilized as motive power in the exhaust-steam orin the water of condensation of the steam-engine. An attempt has beenmade to secure a greater efciency in the steam-engine by the use ofhigher steam-pressure and therewith a higher temperature of the steam,since with higher temperatures the proportion of the total amount ofheat utilized to the latent heat (which was almost entirely lost forworking purposes) became more considerable. In recent times fifteenatmospheres (equal to 200 centigrade) has been reached, whereby thedegree of efficiency of the steam-engine has been largelyincreased. Ithas also been tried to further increase the efficiency of thesteamengine by superheating the saturated steam. For the superheating ofthe latter the gases given off from the furnace have been employed,which still leave the superheater with a temperature of about 3000. Thepractical results of these efforts, nevertheless, have been veryslight,as the steam was at very high degrees of temperature, and inconsequence inconvenience was experienced in the Working of the engines,so that in practical Working pressures up to fifteen atmospheres (equalto 2000 centigrade) and superheating to the extent of 600 to 700 beyondthe saturating temperaturethat is, with fifteen atmospheres-2700centigrade have been reached.

The object of this invention is to utilize as motive power, as far aspossible, the energy of the heat present in the exhaust-steam andfurnace-gases which has hitherto been lost for working purposes. To thisend I utilize the large amount of heat present at a low temperature inexhaust-steam for the conversion into vapor of liquids with lowboiling-point and high tension-for instance, anhydrous ammonia, (NH3,)carbonio anhydrid, (002,) and sulfurous anhydrid, (SO2.) The vapors ofsuch liquids possess high pressures, even at the low temperaturesavailable in the eX- haust-steam. For example, at +450 centigrade thetension of the saturated vapor of carbonio anhydrid equals one hundredatmospheres; ofammonia, equals 17.5 atmospheres; of sulfurous auhydrid,equals seven atmospheres. According to the present method the ammonia orother vapor thus formed by the exhaust-steam is superheated, preferably,by the gases from the furnace. With superheating up to 1000 beyond thesaturated temperature of, for example, +650 centigrade, corresponding toa pressure of the ammoniavapor of twenty-nine atmospheres, the saidvapor has only a temperature of 1650 centigrade, so that the gases givenoff from the furnace can be very suitably utilized for this purpose,whereas, for example, steam of fifteen atmospheres with superheating upto the same point-viz., 100o beyond the satu rated temperature, which,moreover, is seldom reached in front of the cylinder-has already atemperature of +3000 centigrade. Hence the value of the superheating ofthe abovementioned ammonia or other vapor, in which, notwithstandinghigh superheating, the temperature remains only moderate, is clearlyshown. The advantage connected with the su perheating of carbonio-acidvapor is especially great, as the coefcient of expansion of the carbonioacid according to recent experiments is so great that with superheatingfor about 1300 centigrade the volume of the TOO superheated vapor, withthe pressure remaining the same, is doubled, so that, for eXample, avolume of gaseous carbonio acid at 45D centigrade and one hundredatmospheres attains by superheating a double volume even at +1750centigrade, while steam of fteen atmospheres (equal to 200 centigrade)only attains a double volume as a consequence of superb-eating for about24:0D centigrade. The temperature of this steam under the abovesupposition would be 200'l-240=440 centigrade-a temperature which isObviously not reached in practice. The superheated ainmonia and othervapors pass into a working cylinder furnished with distributing-valvesof any desired kind and expand therein at the sacrifice ot' theirsuperheating and vaporous heat un til their pressure and temperaturecorrespond to that of the available water of con densation, The ammoniaor other vapors enter a condenser, in which they give off their latentheat to the water of condensation, so as to become condensed themselves.rPhe ammonia liquefied in this way then iiows for subsequent cooling'into a liquid-cooler, thence to a feed-pu mp for the purpose of beingforced again into a feed-heater, and then into the vaporizer, in whichthe ammonia or other liquids are converted into vapor, the above cycleof operations being constantly repeated.

Some forms of machine and. apparatus employed for carrying out thenewmethod are shown in the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is a sectional diagram showing an arrangement of parts suitablefor the practice of my invention. Fig. 2 is also a diagrammatic View ofa varied form of Fig. l, in which the vapors are twice subjected tosuperheating and expansion.

Referring iirst to Fig. l, exhaust-steam, warm water, or other heatingmedium of low temperature iiows in the pipe 1 in the direction indicatedby the arrow to the vaporizer a, giving off its heat for evaporating theammonia or other liquid contained in suitable hollow bodies-coils, forexample-and becomes condensed on the pipes, and then after heating theliquid-collector u reaches the feed-heater g, where it preliminarilyheats the ammonia or other liquid forced by the pump finto the vaporizerand passes through the pipe 2 to the open air or to an air-pump. Theammonia so heated and vaporized in the vaporizer passes through the pipe3 into a snperheater d, around which gases given off from the furnacecirculate. In this apparatus, coil, or other arrangement theammoniavapors are super-heated by the action'of the furnace-gases, whichenter at 4 and issue at 5. The high pressure and superheated vapors passthrough the pipe 6 into a working cylinder b,furnished withdistributing-valves, in order at the cost of their superheating andvaporous heat to expand and furnish motive power. The expanded vaporsthen pass through a pipe 7 into a condenser c, which may consist of acoil or pipe and in the interior of which is the ammonia or otherliquid, while the exterior of the coil is surrounded by cooling-water atordinary temperature. By means of the latter-for example, at -|-2OOcentigrade-theam monia-vapors will beliquetied with 8.5 atmospheres, thecarbonic-aeid vapor with sixty atmospheres, and the vapor of thesulfur-ous acid with 3.2 atmospheres. This liquid collects in thereservoir e and after cooling therein and subsequently cooling in theliquid-cooler c iiows into the feedpump The cooling-water passes throughthe pipe 8 into Vthe liquid-cooler@1 and cools the liquid ammonia nearlyto its own temperature and then after the cooling of the reservoir epasses as a counter-current into the condenser c, there condensing theammoniavapor and passing out by way of a pipe S) at or near the top ofthe condenser.

Fig. 2 represents an, arrangement which is advantageously employed whenexhauststeam of comparatively high temperaturefor inst-ance, '70D to SOocentigrade-is available and it is desired to effect the most economicalworking. The iiuid ammonia passes for the purpose of preliminary heatinginto the feed-heater g and is then converted into vapor in the vaporizera by means of evaporating media entering through a pipe l at the top.rlhe water formed by the expenditure of heat in vaporizing the ammoniathen flows out of the feed-heater g through a pipe 2 at the farther endof the feed-heater after the liquid ammonia has been heated. Thehighpressure ammonia-vapors thus formed iiow through the pipe 3 into acoil i, which is surrounded by steam, highly-heated water, or some otherheated liquid, where they are heated and pass through the pipe 13 into aworking cylinder 7c, furnished with distributing-valves. Here thevapors, now highly heated and under great tension, expand at the cost oftheir superheating and vaporous heat to the desired degree and then passthrough the pipe 14 into a second coil l, in which they are againsuperheated. They then pass through a pipe 15 into a second workingcylinder m of larger capacity than the first and expand therein untilthey acquire the degree of tension and temperature corresponding to thatof the available coolingwater, whereupon they pass through the piperinto the condenser c and are there condensed. After condensation theyare further cooled in the reservoir e and the liquid-cooler c in orderthen to flow to the feed-pninpf, which forces the now liquid ammoniathrough the preliminary heater g into the vaporizer ai, where it beginsthe circuit or cycle afresh. In this arrangement the expansion of theva- -pors in two cylinders of different sizes and the snperheating ofthe vapors twice are provided for in order to effect as economical aworking as possible. Further, an indirect superheating is employed,inasmuch as the ammoniavapor is not directly superheated by the fur- IOOIIO

nace-gases, but indirectly, the said gases first heating' or evaporatingWater or other liquid in suitable apparatus, said liquid or vapors beingthen used to superheat the ammoniavapors. The highly-heated water orother liquid or vapors of such liquids then pass through the pipe llinto the superheater h, where it gives off its heat for superheating theammonia-vapor and flows through the pipe l2 back into the heater. Theeffect of this indirect superheating is that the superheater h t' can beset up in immediate proximity to the machine, whereby only short pipeconduits are necessary, loss of heat through the same being so avoided.Fun ther, by means of the indirect snperheating the possibility ofsuperheating of the ammonia or other vapor to excess is prevented, andthereby any damage to the parts of the machine. Again, in thisarrangement a jacket is provided for the cylinder; but the medium whichcirculates therein is not, as in steam-engines, the working fluid, but aduid which has a higher boiling-point than the said working duid. Inengines using ammonia or other bodies the medium used in theindirectsuperheater h, (highly-heated water or steam,) which flows inthrough 2li and 25 and away through 26 and 27, can be advantageouslyemployed. By means of this heating loss in condensation during theexpansion is avoided as far as possible, and this jacket is especiallyeffective, as there are great differences between the temperature in thecylinder and that in the jacket. Itis obvious that the indirectsuper-heating of the vapor and the jacket can also be employed withadvantage in the single-cylinder arrangement according to Fig. l, justas in the arrangement according to Fig. 2 direct superheating may heemployed.

In the two arrangements illustrated the cooling-water flowing out of thecondenser c at 9, Eig. 2, can be `advantageously utilized for thepreliminary heating (in a special feedheater) of the ammonia or otherliquid forced by the pump to the vaporizer ct, whereby there is aneconomy of heat available for the heating of the liquid up to thetemperature of the vaporizer.

The arrangement and construction of the machine and apparatusillustrated in Figs. l and 2 are only diagrammatic and the cylindersmay, for example, be arranged side by side horizontally, or verticallyabove one another, or in any other preferred manner. Furthermore, theapparatus in which the vapors, liquids, dto., circulate may be of anywapparatus is the action of the feed-pump f, by means of which thecondensed vapors, such as ammonia, are drawn out of the cooler n. Thispump must he so arranged that suction or the formation of vapor in frontof the piston may be avoided as far as possible. For insuring thisobject the pump illustrated in Fig. 3 is employed. The cooled liquidammonia or other body enters at lS on the piston-rod side ofthe cylinderwhen the piston descends and flows when the piston aseends into thelower party of the cylinder through the circular suction-valve p in thepiston o, which valve is opened in consequence of the friction on thesides of the cylinder. When the piston descends, the suction-valvecloses in consequence of the friction on the sides of the cylinder andthe liquid ammonia is forced through the pipe l0 into the feed-heater g.

In order to destroy any heat which might enter or might be set up inconsequence of friction or the like, whereby the cylinder might byfilled with vapors instead of with liquid,an artificial means of coolingthe pumpcylinder is provided., The cooling of the jacketed cylinder iseffected by the circulation of cold water in its jacket 2O or by theentrance into the latter at 2l of liquid ammonia or the like, which isevaporated at low temperature and tension, and thereby cousiderablycools the sides of the cylinder. The vapors so formed pass out throughthe pipe 22 into a small compressor or into an absorbing apparatus, (notshowin) to which the ammonia escaping from the stuffing-box is alsoconducted. 'Phe ammonia after being absorbed by water or other suitableagent is eliminated from its solution by heat and passes to thecondenser c, Where it commences the cycle again.

Heretofore and prior to my invention it has been proposed to useexhauststeam and waste furnace-heat to vaporize a fluid having aboiling-point lower than that of Water. It has also been proposed tosuperheat and reheat exhauststeam or other vapor and use the same againin a larger cylinder. I make no claim, therefore, to these methods,either separately or together, as being of my own invention.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is- IOO IIO

l. Th e herein-described method for producing motive power, whichconsists in vaporizing by the heat of exhaust-steam and the q like,liquids having a boiling-point below 0 "centigrade, superheating thevapors thus produced, expanding the same in a working cylinder,superheating said vapors a second time, expanding the same after thesecond superheating in a larger working cylinder surrounded by a liquidor its y vapors, said liquid having' a boiling-point higher than saidliquid from which the vapors are produced,

and then cooling and condensing said vapors, substantially as hereindeseribed'and for the purpose set forth.

2. The herein-described method for produoing a motive power, whichconsists in vaporizing by exhaust-steam and thelike, liquids having aboiling-point below Oo centigrade, heating water or other liquid by thewaste gases from a steam-producing furnace, superheating the vapors bythe heat of said water and other liquid or its vapors, expanding thesaid vapors in a working Cylinder, and then eoolingand condensing saidvapors for a repetition of the operation, substantially as set forth.

3. The herein-described method for producing motive power, whichconsists in vaporizing by the heat of exhaust-stealn and the like,liquids having a boiling-point below Oo oentigrade, superheating thevapors thus produced, expanding the same in a Working cyl- FRANZWINDHAUSEN, JR.

/Vitnesses: HENRY HASPER, WOLDEMAR HAUPT.

